Category: Lutheran

  • The Gospel: Defined and Defended

    Background If you ask many people, who espouse Christ and go to church every week, just what is the gospel you will get various responses. Some will say being a “good person” is the gospel. Roman Catholics may say the gospel is that Jesus died for us and is present in a real way in…

  • A Response to Reformed Presbyterians: Semper Reformanda

    Background The sine qua non of Reformed theology is soteriology. Covenant theology and certain types of eschatology are not essential core distinctives. Sadly, the majority of Reformed Presbyterians seem to be so bigoted and locked into their infantile theological cliques that they look down upon and refuse to recognize believers such as Reformed Baptists as…

  • BACH: Fantasia Super: Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott, BWV 651

    FULL POWER!!! The overwhelming opening of Fantasia Super: Komm, Heiliger Geist, Herre Gott, performed by Leo van Doeselaar for All of Bach, refers almost literally to the opening lines of Acts 2 from the Bible, which say about Pentecost: “And when the day of Pentecost fully came, they were all with one accord in one…

  • BACH: Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott, BWV 80

    This sacred cantata by Bach is a combative cantata written for Reformation Day (October 31st) as a battle song of the Reformation. Military references are found not just in the words, but in the music as well, built up by Bach over the years. I love Bach’s masterful use of word painting in this cantata.…

  • The Baptism Debate

    Catholics, Orthodox, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Methodists, Presbyterians, other Reformed, and some Anglican all believe in either infant baptism or both infant baptism and baptismal regeneration. I submit, respectfully, that these believers are all wrong in their understanding of baptism. In this post, I will discuss the fundamental differences between the credobaptist and paedobaptism positions, and I’ll…

  • Justification: On What Basis?

    Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God. Romans 5:1 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of…

  • The Geneva Bible: The Reformers’ Bible

    What exactly is the Geneva Bible and what is its significance? The Geneva Bible was first published in 1560. It was the first translation to use chapter divisions and numbered verses and became the most popular version of its time because of the extensive marginal notes and annotations. Some of those notes were very controversial.…

  • Water Baptism: A Reformed Examination of John 3:5

    When a person is baptized is it the water itself that regenerates? Or is it the washing by the Holy Spirit that regenerates? According to Calvin, and other Reformed commentators, the water in John 3:5 is not referring to water baptism. And it is the washing by the Holy Spirit that regenerates. And that alone.…

  • Bach sacred cantata – Erschallet, ihr Lieder, erklinget, ihr Saiten! BWV 172

    Bach wrote this cantata, while in Weimar, on May 20, 1714, for Pentecost Sunday. The libretto is based on John 14:23–31. It is one of my very favorite Bach cantatas! The work is in six movements, and scored for four vocal soloists, four-part choir, three trumpets, timpani, oboe, bassoon and a string orchestra of two…

  • J.S. Bach: Sacred Cantata: Es ist euch gut, daß ich hingehe, BWV 108

    BWV 108 (29 April 1725) concerns itself with Jesus’ promise of the Holy Ghost It opens with Jesus himself explaining that he has to leave to make room for his Spirit. The bass (vox Christi) sings in a beautifully quiet, stepping rhythm. In the following tenor aria the violin jumps up and down to illustrate…